post

Hezekiah’s Checkered Reign

Hezekiah Strengthens Judah
This article mentions that Is. 22.1-14 might possibly refer to Hezekiah. My reading has it as Shebna, whose oracle follows this section immediately. While Hezekiah appears like a hero in most accounts of scripture, his reign was not without failings. Jer. 26.17-19 records an event during Hezekiah’s kingship where Micah the Prophet warns of impending judgment because of Judah’s sin. Here, Hezekiah needed to entreat the Lord and lead the nation out of prevalent idolatry. Hezekiah does all of this but not before Micah of Moresheth’s prophecy.
Hezekiah fails again, in my opinion, though the text seems somewhat ambiguous, in the matter of the Babylonian Envoys visiting him after his illness (Is.39). The things the Babylonians see in Hezekiah’s Palace will eventually be delivered over to them seems judgmental. So, while Hezekiah looks the hero, additional events help round out the profile of this great king.

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.